Packaging and dispensing structure



June 8, 1965 n. s. OWENS v PACKAGING AND DISPENSING STRUCTURE Filed June 10, 1963 INVENTOR.

DONALD G. OWENS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,187,955 PACKAGING AND DISPENSING STRUCTURE Donaid G. Owens, 16865 E. Eight Miie Road,

East Detroit, Mich. Filed June 10, 1963, Ser. No. 286,836 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-183) The invention relates to packaging and dispensing of food and refers more specifically to a deformable plastic container, a plastic liner therefor and a dispensing cap which may be reversible.

In the past baby foods, which are fiowable, have been spoon fed. Spoon feeding has the particular disadvantage of permitting the baby to spit out the food fed to it while additional food is being obtained in the spoon from the usual food container. Feeding babies, baby food has therefore in the past been a messy if not disagreeable job.

Further in the past, baby food has been packaged in glass jars so that spoon feeding has been the only practical method of transferring the food from the jar to the baby. Plastic packages have not been used in the past due to sealing problems and deformation of the package, when food at the temperature at which it is cooked is placed therein.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved package for storing and dispensing baby food and the like.

Another object is to provide a package for storing and dispensing baby food including an outer deformable plastic container, an inner plastic liner and a dispensing cap.

Another object is to provide a package as set forth above wherein the liner is provided with an annular flange around one end thereof secured between the container and cap.

Another object is to provide a package as set forth above wherein the cap is provided with a dispensing spout or spoon.

Another object is to provide a package as set forth above wherein the cap is reversible.

Another object is to provide a plastic package for food which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a package for food constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section view of the package illustrated in FIGURE 1 taken substantially on the line 22 in FIG- 1 URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial section view of the food package illustrated in FIGURE 1 similar to a portion of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section view of a plastic liner for use in the package illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the plastic liner illustrated in FIGURE 4 taken in the direction 55 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the cap part of the package illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an elevation view of a complementary member for use with the outer container part of the food package illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a partial section view of a modification of the food package illustrated in FIGURE 1, particularly showing a reversible cap.

FIGURE 9 is another partial section view of the modified food package illustrated in FIGURE 8 showing the cap in the reversed position thereof.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a liner for use in the food packages illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 8 in place of the liners 14 and 44.

With particular reference to the figures of the drawing, one embodiment of the present invention will now be considered in detail.

As shown in FIGURES 1-6 the food package 10 for storing and dispensing baby food and the like comprises an outer plastic container 12 which as shown in FIGURE 1 has the exterior form of the upper half of a doll. The food package 10 is completed with the plastic liner 14 and the dispensing cap 16.

Food, such as applesauce or the like, is placed in the liner 14. The liner 14 is positioned in the deformable plastic container 12 and is held therein by the cap 16. When the container 14 is opened food may be dispensed from the package 11 through the dispensing spout 20 of the cap 16 which may be inserted in a babys month.

More specifically the outer container 12, as shown in FIGURE 1, is in the form of a cupid doll and is constructed of deformable plastic, such as, for example, a polyethylene. The lower end 36 of the container 12 is provided with means for securinga cap thereto, such as the exterior threads 22.

The thickness of the outer plastic container may vary and may be, for example, one-eighth of an inch. Further while the form of the outer container 12 illustrated in FIGURE 1 is that of the upper half of a cupid doll other configurations are contemplated. For example, the outer container 12 may be in the form of fruit or animal caricatures.

The liner 14, as shown best in FIGURE 4, is constructed of relatively'thin plastic such as one-thirty-second of an inch which may be easily deformed and which can with stand the temperature at which the particular food to be packaged is cooked and which may be vacuum sealed at pressures between fifteen and thirty-five pounds per square inch. Again polyethylene plastic may be used for the liner 14. Alternatively the liner may be constructed of material, such as aluminum foil. The cup portion of the liner 14 is constructed of a cup shaped part 17 provided with an annular radially outwardly extending flange 24 around the end 26 thereof to which the cover part 18 is sealed as at 28 after food has been positioned therein. The cover part 18- is provided with a tear line 30 which does not destroy .the seal of the liner 14 but which facilitates openingof the liner 14 The cap 16 as illustrated best in FIGURE 6 is provided with means by which it is secured to the outer container 12, such as the internal threads 32., best shown in FIGURE 3. The dispensing spout 20 as previously indicated is pro vided on the cap 16 and permits dispensing of food packaged in the package 16 through the opening 34 therethrough on squeezing of the outer container 12 with the liner 14 open. Again the cap 16 may be constructed of suitable plastic material.

As previously indicated the food to be dispensed is vacuum packed in a liner 14, at, for example, between fifteen and thirty-five pounds per square inch pressure while it is heated, for example, to three hundred degrees. The filled and sealed liner 14 is positioned in the outer container 12 with the flange 28 extending over the end 36 of the outer container 12 and over a portion of the threads 22 thereon. The cap 16 is then positioned on the outer container 12 with the flange 28 of the liner 14 secured between the threads 32 on the cap 16 and the threads 22 on the container 12. The spout 29 on the cap 16 is sealed by convenient means, such as the plastic cover 33, at this time.

Alternatively the container 12 and liner 14 may be secured together by means of a cap (not shown) which has no spout 29 thereon. Caps such as cap 16 having a plurality of different spouts 20 thereon which may be, for example, in the form of spoons of graded size for children of ditlerent ages may then be sold in separate packages. Such arrangement permits greater facility in stacking, storing and shipping of the packaged food than would be possible if the caps 16 having the spout 2 thereon were originally provided on the packages 10.

In use the cap 16or a cap not having a spout 2t thereon is removed from the package 18, the liner 18 is opened by means of the tear line 38, after which a cap 16 having va spout 20 or similar spoon structure shaped as a spoon thereon is secured to the container 12 over the open liner 14. The package is then used by inserting the spout 28, for example, into a babys mouth and squeezing the outer container 12 to force food into the childs mouth.

The modified package structure 40 illustrated in FIG- URES 8 and 9 includes the outer container 42 which may be in the form of a cylinder. The liner 44 is similar to the liner 14 but has no flange 24 therearound. The cap 46 is a reversible dispensingcap. Liner 44 may have a flange extending part way around the circumference thereof if the cap 46 is a snap-on cap rather than a screw-on cap, as shown.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the cap 46 is positioned on the container 42 in a food dispensing direction and the liner 44, is open at 48. Food, such as catsup, salad dressing or the like packaged in the liner 44 may thus be dispensed from the package 40, as shown in FIGURE 8.

As shown in FIGURE 9 the cap 46 which has threaded portions 58 and 52 on opposite ends thereof is secured to the container 42 with the dispensing spout 54 in an inner position. The package 40 is manufactured and shipped with the spout 54 in the inner position, as shown in FIGURE 9, and is provided with convenient means,

such as the plastic film 56 positioned thereover to maintain the inside of the reversible cap 46 clean. When it is desired to use the food in the package 40 the film 56 is taken 01f and destroyed, the liner 44 is open as at 48 in FIGURE 8 and the position of the cap is reversed also as in FIGURE 8.

It will be understood that while the reversible cap 46 is shown in conjunction with a cylindrical outer container 42 in FIGURES 8 and 9 and the non-reversible cap In use the pouch of the liner 60 in a position inverted v to that illustrated in FIGURE is filled with food and 16 is illustrated in conjunction with an outer container 12 in the form of a cupid doll in FIGURE 1 that either cap may be used in conjunction with a plurality of different forms of outer container. In fact, the reversible cap 46 would probably be used in conjunction with the cupid doll outer container while the non-reversible cap would be used with a cylindrical outer container having a flat end opposite the end to which the cap is secured since the reversible cap provides a surface for setting the packaged article on a counter which is needed in conjunction with the cupid doll since no other flat surface on which the package 10 may be positioned for display is provided while a flat surface could be provided on the cylindrical container 42 at the end thereof (not shown).

Further while cup-shaped liners 14 and44 have been described in conjunction with the packages 10 and 40, illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 8, a liner 60, as illustrated in FIGURE 10, could be provided in place of the liners 14 and 44. In fact the liner 60 would be considerably cheaper to manufacture and might therefore be preferred to the liners 14 and 44. The liner 60 is a plastic pouch formed by sealing the edges 62 and one is sealed by conventional means at 66 to provide the open end 68. The end 68 of liner 60 is then positioned in the manner of the flange 28 between the end of an outer container and a dispensing cap. The seal 66 may be of a nature to be opened for access to the food in the pouch formed in the. liner 60' between the end seal 64 and the closing seal 66. 7

While one embodiment of the present invention and a modification thereof have been considered in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments and modifications are contemplated. Thus the packages 40 may be provided with flat covers and separate dispensing caps, suchas caps 16. Further it will be readily understood that for the dispensing of items such as catsup, salad dressing and the like that liners, such as liners 14 or 44, may be sold separately as refills for a container 12 or 42 and caps, such as 16 or 46 which are reusable. Also a lower portion 58 of the cupid doll outer container 12 may be sold separately without having food packaged therein or food may be packaged in the complementary halves of the cupid doll requiring the purchasing of two packages of food to receive the cupid doll as a premium which may be secured together centrally by complementary screw threads provided thereon or with a separate connecting unit. It is the intention to include all modifications and'embodiments as are defined by the appended claims within the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A storage and dispensing package for baby food and the like comprising a deformable plastic generally cylindrical outer container closed at one end and open at the other, exterior threads about the one end of the outer container, a generally cylindrical deformable plastic liner positioned Within said outer container and a dispensing cap comprising an internally threaded cylindrical portion, a central, interior, transverse partition across the cylindrical portion and a dispensing spout having an opening therethrough extending through the partition and depending from the outer periphery. of the partition at one side of .the cap adjacent the cylindrical portion of the cap and extending within the container alongside of the plastic liner positioned therein with the cap threaded onto the one end of the container and removable plastic sealing means secured over the other side of the cap.

2. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the generally cylindrical outer container is in the form of a portion of a toy.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,648,463 8/53 Scherer 222-107 2,715,980 8/55 Frick 222-212 X 2,815,150 12/57 Herzig 222-215 X 2,832,515 4/58 Barradas 222-541 X 2,837,251 6/58 Moir et al. 222-539 X 2,861,718 11/58 Winzen 222-183 X 2,872,081 2/59 Randall 222-215 X 2,898,003 8/59 Wilson 222-541 X 2,953,170 9/60 Bush 222-215 X 3,042,272 7/62 Anderson 222-539 3,105,612 10/63 Krasnoff et al. 222-215 X LOUIS .I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STORAGE AND DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR BABY FOOD AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A DEFORMABLE PLASTIC GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER CONTAINER CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT THE OTHER, EXTERIOR THREADS ABOUT THE ONE END OF THE OUTER CONTAINER, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL DEFORMABLE PLASTIC LINER POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND A DISPENSING CAP COMPRISING AN INTERNALLY THREADED CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A CENTRAL, INTERIOR, TRANSVERSE PARTITION ACROSS THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A DISPENSING SPOUT HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH EXTENDING THROUGH THE PARTITION AND DEPENDING FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE PARTITION AT 